Slovenia Food and Drink

Slovenia's national cuisine consists of simple fresh produce and has been influenced by its neighbours and occupiers, namely Austria, Italy and Hungary. Soup is a typical starter followed by a pork, chicken or turkey dish with seasonal vegetables or salad.

Each region has its own special dessert, but pancakes are popular too. As Germany and Austria supply the bulk of tourists in many parts, dishes such as sauerkraut, grilled sausage and apple strudel can be found on most menus too.

Specialities:

•Potica (a circular cake with a variety of fillings, namely nuts, honey, cream, raisins and cinnamon)• Goulash (a stew of meat and vegetables popular in the Hungarian influenced eastern Prekmurje region)•Gibanica (a popular layer cake made with pastry, cheese and eggs)•Nanos (a Slovenian hard cheese, it is one of many tasty varieties produced across the country)• Seafood (popular along the coast of Slovenia)• Bled cream cake (lashings of vanilla cream between two slices of pastry)

Tipping:

Rounding up is acceptable though 10% is generally expected in city restaurants.

Regional drinks:

•Ganje (a potent brandy made from local fruit, but most commonly blueberry)•Wine (Slovenia’s best kept secret is its outstanding wines which include whites, such as Sauvignon Blanc, Furmint and Rebula, and rich reds such as Terrano)• Union (a popular Slovenian beer)• Lasko (another popular beer brewed in the eponymous town)